Outlawing menthols would have dire side effects

I respect Theresa Zubretsky’s opinions in her commentary “Menthol-flavored tobacco is killing African Americans,” March 1, and her work on tobacco cessation. I do not smoke, nor do I write this in support of smoking. However, I come to ask: What happens when we prohibit a historically legal product, making that product now illegal in the eyes of regulators, police and the communities of color that primarily favor it?

The product becomes a tool used to stop, question, frisk or worse. Police interactions with unarmed Blacks are more likely to involve pepperspraying the victim, overaggressive force and arrests for minor offenses. Just look at these recent incidents involving the Rochester Police Department and unarmed Blacks: detaining and pepperspraying a 9-year old girl; chasing and pepper-spraying a Black woman as she clinched the hand of her 3-year old; the death of Daniel Prude in police custody, which resulted in a not-guilty verdict. Our criminal justice and policing systems are failing us, and change is urgently needed before more state legislation stands to increase police interactions with the Black and brown community.

Today, New York leads the nation in illegal cigarette “loosie” sales. Following the author’s guidance would add another untaxed product to this underground economy. We don’t need another Eric Garner, who was stopped by police while selling loosies and died in police custody.

Wayne P. Harris Rochester Retired deputy chief, Rochester Police Department; current board member, Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP); former board member, National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) and the M.K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence